New Delhi: A 43-year-old woman from Nagpur in Maharashtra is now suspected to be in the custody of authorities in Pakistan after crossing over the Line of Control (LOC) to meet an online friend in that country. She left behind her 15-year-old son at a village in Kargil. The teenager is now being taken care of by the Ladakh Police.
Sunita is a former nurse. According to officials, she befriended a ‘pastor’ from Pakistan over social media and felt an urge to meet him in person. On May 9, even as India and Pakistan were engaged in a military conflict, she made her way to Kargil in Ladakh and put up at a hotel there.
According to an official, she stayed in a room at the hotel with her son till Wednesday. On that day, she left the hotel alone in the morning. When she didn’t return till late in the night, the hotel management got in touch with the police.
Her son told the police that he accompanied Sunita to villages along the LOC over the last few days. She was probably scouting for a location from where she could cross over into Pakistan.
“Before leaving on Wednesday, she told the boy to remain at the Hunderban village – a last settlement near the LOC – till she returns. We suspect that she somehow managed to get across the LOC. The actual reason is still not clear. We have formed a special team and are exploring all possible angles,” a senior police official said.
Officials have also come to know that she attempted to cross over to Pakistan through Attari on at least two occasions, but was stopped as she did not possess necessary documentation.
“It is a matter of concern. There are some reports that she was spotted by villagers on the Pakistan side and handed over to the authorities there. However, we still do not have any confirmation. We are also trying to get in touch with her other relatives in Nagpur,” the official added.
